Introduction:

The Center for System Reliability has developed methodologies and software tools to address a wide range of reliability  problems. These tools and techniques have been applied in diverse application areas ranging from nuclear power and missile  systems to aviation, automotive, and manufacturing. We have the tools and the experience to help address reliability  problems throughout a product's life cycle.

Design for Reliability
We believe that reliability should be designed and built into products at the earliest possible stages of product development.  As most of a product's life cycle cost has been locked in by the time its design is complete, designing for reliability is the most economically sound approach to take.


Reliability Allocation
Reliability allocation is the process of specifying a level of reliability for each subsystem or module in a system so as to achieve a system reliability objective. This process should be performed early in the design cycle to guide designers in choosing components, materials, and a design topology that will meet system objectives.


Reliability Optimization
It is not uncommon for a company to have 10, 20, or more engineering projects in progress at any one time for a given piece of equipment or product line. In this situation it is important to conduct trade-off studies to prioritize potential product modifications.  The best approach to this problem is to use optimization methods to find the combination of modifications in terms of the largest increase in reliability for the lowest cost.


Reliability Prediction
Reliability prediction involves estimating the reliability of equipment or products prior to their production or modification.  The Center for System Reliability has conducted several reliability prediction studies for both industry and government customers


Fault Tree Analysis
Fault tree analysis is a logical, structured process that can help identify potential causes of system failure before the failures actually occur.  Fault trees are powerful design tools that can help ensure that product performance objectives are met.